1979: The Iran hostage crisis begins as militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seizing its occupants; for some, it is the start of 444 days of captivity.

1980: Ronald Reagan wins the White House as he defeats President Jimmy Carter by a strong margin.

1991: Ronald Reagan opens his presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif.; in attendance are President George H.W. Bush and former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford and Richard Nixon — the first-ever gathering of five past and present U.S. chief executives.

2008: Democrat Barack Obama is elected the first black president of the United States, defeating Republican John McCain.

VINDICATOR FILES

1987: Sales tax issues are rejected by voters in Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

Youngstown voters approve only one of six proposed charter amendments, the one that increases the term of office for mayor from two years to four and limits the mayor to two consecutive terms.

Ohio voters soundly reject a state constitutional amendment that would have replaced voting for appellate court judges and supreme court justices with a merit selection system.

1972: U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts spends several hours in Trumbull County campaigning for George McGovern, the Democratic presidential candidate, and U.S. Rep. Charles J. Carney in the 19th Congressional District.

The Ohio Water Pollution Control Board orders Trumbull County commissioners to expand and improve sewage disposal facilities in the Mosquito Creek Sewer District.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches a four-year-high at 984.12, and Wall Street observers are speculating about it breaking 1,000.

1962: Youngstown 2nd Ward Councilman Phillip Panno submits a reapportionment proposal to the Mahoning County Board of Elections that is aimed at equalizing voter strength in Youngstown’s seven wards.

Approximately 120,000 Mahoning County citizens out of a registration of 151,000 are expected to go to the polls on election day. A crew of 2,584 poll workers will be manning the county’s 414 precincts.

Youngstown Park Superintendent Edward E. Finamore selects a 50-foot Colorado blue spruce tree offered by Mr. and Mrs. Michael Espositio, 2508 Volney Road, as the tree that will be cut and erected on Central Square. Finamore had received 50 offers of trees from area residents.

1937: Youngstown traffic commissioner Clarence W. Coppersmith proposes parking bans and changing some downtown streets to one-way traffic as a way of controlling traffic flow after the failure of the Spring Common bridge proposal.

Henry M. Robinson, former Mahoning Valley man and confidant of four presidents, dies in Pasadena, Calif. His brother in law, Wilfred Arms, says the body will be returned to Youngstown for burial in Oak Hill Cemetery.

John Smitzer, 17, of Campbell is killed almost instantly when struck in the head by a stray rifle bullet while in a field near Liberty Road.